Pont-d'Ouilly () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

Geography

The commune is part of the area known as Suisse Normande.

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, La Martelée, Le Rocray, Les Hogues, La Potiche, La Guérardière, Le Hameau Hue, Le Haut d'Ouilly, Les Îles d'Ouilly, Le Val Aubert and Pont-d'Ouilly. The commune is spread over an area of with a maximum altitude of and minimum of

The Commune with another 20 communes shares part of a 2,115 hectare, Natura 2000 conservation area, called the Vallée de l'Orne et ses affluents.

The rivers Orne and Noireau plus six streams, The Orival, The Val Corbel, La Boullonniere, The Val la Here, La Mare des Bois and La Mesliere flow through the commune.

Points of Interest

  • Haras d'Ouilly, is a famous Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding business currently owned by the Aga Khan IV.

Culture

  • Le festival des Extraverties is an annual 3 day festival organised each Spring by the Communauté de communes du Pays de Falaise and Communauté d'agglomération Flers Agglo. The festival is based on several sites within the Suisse Normande area, with Pont-d'ouilly being one of the annual sites used. The festival celebrates the activities that can be done in the local area while also featuring concerts and free shows. The festival has been going since 2017 and attracts about 20,000 people each time.

Notable people

  • Jean-Luc Lagardère - (1928 – 2003) a major French businessman and CEO of the Lagardère Group is buried here.

Twin towns – sister cities

Pont-d'Ouilly is twinned with:

  • Chipping Campden, England
  • Hafenlohr, Germany

See also

  • Communes of the Calvados department
  • Maurice Le Scouëzec

References

  • Official website